


respiro.

by aikirai



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Panic Attacks, Post-Season/Series 03, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:33:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23160094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aikirai/pseuds/aikirai
Summary: He hugged her so tight, that all words fell from her lips. Her hands, abandoned at her sides, found their way around his waist, holding him close. She felt his body shaking against hers with silent sobs.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 128





	respiro.

**Author's Note:**

> It really feels weird to be on the other side. I've been reading fanfiction for the last twelve years, always wanting to participate with some writing of mine, but never finding the courage to do it, nor the time. Now I'm quarantined, so I have too much time on my hands. This one was mostly an experiment, written in a few hours and minimally edited just to break the ice, so that hopefully, when I'll finish writing my other more polished stories, I won't be a coward and just publish them.
> 
> I loved the Dragon Prince, so much I binged on it for two days straight, and dreaming about it when I went to sleep. And like everyone, I fell for the two adorable dorks. Checking out the archive, I was a little disappointed nobody had written something about the "after battle". As for me, I felt heartbroken when I saw Callum simply crying when he saw Rayla fall, before going to save her, I mean. His desperate expression stuck into my head and never left. So I thought, why not?, and here I am. 
> 
> The title is latin for breathe, but also italian for breath, and I think both of these words are the most used in this piece ahaha
> 
> Last thing, I'm not an english native speaker, so I hope my writing is not too clunky. 
> 
> Have fun ;)

The moments after the battle felt like some kind of weight lifted from them all. Both human and elven armies set camp at the foot of the mountain, celebrating like they were never really apart for so much time. 

Rayla could hear their celebrations from atop of the mountain where the Queen of Dragons insisted they spent the night. It was she along with Callum, Ezran and Corvus, whereas even though general Amaya and the sunfire knight Janai had been invited too, they preferred to spend the night keeping close to their armies and a closer eye on their prisoners. 

So after Ezran’s speech, and after the army scattered, the four of them were shown by Ibis their respective rooms in the former quarters of the Dragon Guard. Callum and Rayla actually shared the desire to go down with the rest of the army and participate to the celebrations, but the Queen was very adamant about them being close to her dragonling, and Corvus had swore to always be near Ezran. Meanwhile, as far as Ezran was concerned, he couldn't hide his excitement about spending the night with Zym again after so much time, and even though he too wanted to be close to his armies, playing for the remainder of the evening with Bait and Zym in the Queen lair was the thing he wanted most. 

At some point though, Ezran looked like he was falling asleep on his feet, and Corvus just picked him and Bait to tuck the little king to bed. Rayla and Callum too went to bed after that, sharing a brief goodnight kiss under Ibis’ watchful but confused look. 

Rayla didn’t waste any time getting ready to bed, a bit relieved she got to spend the night in a real bed after a couple weeks of hard ground. The events of the day swirled around her head, still having a hard time realizing it all had ended. It wasn’t like she didn't believe they could succeed in their mission, she couldn't believe they actually were able to do it. It hadn't been easy, but it almost felt like there had to be something more, something they didn't know about. She hugged her pillow more closely and breathed out a sigh. It was no use to get her head around like that, when she couldn’t even be sure if her suspects were real or if it was just her paranoia. 

That's when she heard the door opening. Her assassin instincts ingrained into her were strong to fight, and while she knew there couldn’t possibly be a real danger, nonetheless her hand instantly flew to the blades hidden under her pillow, ready to jump. 

But then she saw Callum, his figure barely illuminated by the moonlight, his feet making the tiniest of noises while coming close to her bed, as if he were afraid to wake her. 

"Rayla?", he whispered once he was near her bed. His voice had a broken quality, completely different from his usual confident façade. "Are you awake?" 

He put a shaking hand on her naked shoulder, cold and clammy, his breath catching up in his throat like it did that time when he used dark magic. If she had any doubts there was something wrong some moments ago, now she was sure. A million thoughts flashed through her mind, and she sprang up seated on her bed, reaching his hand with hers, a question quivering on her lips. 

"Callum, what…" 

He didn't let her finish. He hugged her so tight, that all words fell from her lips. Her hands, abandoned at her sides, found their way around his waist, holding him close. She felt his body shaking against hers with silent sobs, and she brought a hand to caress the hair on his nape. 

"It’s okay, Callum… Everything is alright…" she whispered, not entirely sure what he was so shaken about. Still it was disheartening to see him so shaken like this. 

"You… I…" he whimpered, his breath coming in short hitches like cold breeze on her tear stained shoulder. 

"Callum, it's okay, really," she snaked her other hand between their chests, to caress his cheek. She put a thumb on his chin to make him look at her. 

When their eyes met, she offered him a soft smile, even though she wanted to cry too. He looked like a mess, his eyes filled with tears, his face red and wet, his body shaking with each one of his breaths. She tightened the fingers around his nape, and she brought him down for a kiss. Their lips barely touched, before he sucked in a breath, and then he suddenly stopped breathing. 

"Callum, what are you doing?", she took his shoulders and shook him a little. "What is happening? Tell me!" 

He was making soft choking sounds, flashing his eyes at her, wide with so much fear and confusion, that made her think he wasn't doing any of it on purpose. It really looked like his body just decided to stop breathing. 

A sudden panic seized her heart, and in an instant it overwhelmed her. "Callum, please tell me, I don't know how to help you…" she whispered, her hands scrambling around him, trying to soothe him, but it seemed to no avail. He still was making those strangled noises, his eyes pouring tear after tear between her fingers. 

She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm for him. "Please, Callum… Everything is alright, I’m here...", she took his cheeks into her hands, and she brought their foreheads together. “Just… Just breathe… Please..." She locked eyes with him, keeping on caressing the nape of his neck and putting the other hand on his chest, unconsciously taking deep breaths as if to show him how to breathe. 

Callum suddenly clamped a hand around her wrist, startling her, and brought it to nuzzle against his cheek, feeling hot to the touch and wet from tears. Little by little it looked like he relaxed and started breathing again. It still sounded a bit ragged, though, but she felt relieved nonetheless. 

He still kept a strong hold around her wrist, but it looked more like it was a way to ground himself, since he seemed like he could faint at any minute. Reyla one by one gently released his fingers around her wrist, and she hugged him down with her to lay on the bed. It was big enough for both of them anyway. She made them comfortable, placing his head on her shoulder and hugging him close with one arm, while he just let her move him around, a testament of how much he still had to be out of it. Her free hand started caressing him again absentmindedly, and without any other word they just laid on the bed for a while. 

"Rayla, I’m sorry…" 

She felt the soft hitch of his breath on her neck, one of his arms curl loosely around her waist. She kept silent to listen to him, playing with his locks around her fingers. 

"I… I couldn't sleep… I kept thinking about today… At the pinnacle… " his voice broke again. She hushed him gently, but he kept talking. "I couldn’t stop thinking … What could have been if I were late, or if the spell hadn't worked, or if… If…" 

He turned to look at her square in the eyes, his face still red and devastated, pain and fear still spilling on his cheeks. "I want you to promise me you won't ever do something like that, like today, even if it's the right thing, even if you're good and a hero… I couldn't…" he was crying again, shaking under her arm. "Please…" 

In that very moment she felt immensely stupid for not realizing what upset him so much, and now it was her breath that was hitching in her throat. She felt little tears rolling down her cheeks too, and she hugged him close. 

"Callum, I…" 

He looked at her, looking so young and afraid, his expression completely shattered by the sadness of what could have been, losing his first and only love, and she felt completely at loss. 

He laughed, a little self deprecating laugh, so familiar to him, but sounding completely wrong. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't… I made you cry, sorry, forget everything…" he brought a thumb to dry her tears, smiling at her, still broken but at least trying. 

Rayla just ruffled his mop of hair, and chuckled a bit. "What are you apologising for, you goof? It should be me the one apologising…" 

"I made you cry…" 

"And I made you sick with worry… literally. The least I can do is to apologise…" 

He fell silent after that, a little blush that looked nothing like the one it usually rose on his cheeks after a kiss, and a lot more like embarrassment for his little not-being-able-to-breathe mishap. 

She sighed. "The thing is, I can't promise you what you ask me." 

He closed his eyes, rejection clear on his moonlit face. It seemed like he was making a move to go away, but she took his hands anyway and brought him even closer to her than before. 

"Rayla, it's okay, I understand…" 

"No, please listen." 

Callum looked at her, and she felt all of his love and adoration wash over her. She took a deep breath and started talking again. 

"You know me, I just do what I feel it's right for the moment, and it sucks, because I never think of the consequences beforehand, so I end up in situations that are unpredictable..." 

"So I'm sorry if I made you sick, and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself if I'll make you feel like that again…But I can't possibly promise you I won't be putting myself in danger, if the situation calls for it… On the other hand though, I can promise you something else."

She brought their faces closer, their foreheads noses and lips brushing, her eyes flashing with determination. 

"I can promise you I won't leave your side… ever." She caught a loose tear on his cheek and she smiled against his lips. "Because I love you, Callum, and I really want to spend all my life with you." 

He stared at her dumbfounded, and she took a little distance from him, her cheeks turning a deep shade of violet, immediately turning her eyes down. 

"I… I mean, if you want… If you want me to... To be always by your side." 

"Of… Of course..." 

She furrowed her brow. "But?" 

"No buts, really... I'm happy... I'm so… So glad we feel the same way." 

She didn't have the time to process what he just said, that he took her chin and kissed her, slow and sweet, like he was tasting honey from her lips. They broke apart from the kiss, but there was not even a breath between their bodies. 

He was now beaming at her, tear stained and all. "I'll never leave your side too, Rayla, I'll always be here to protect you." 

She pecked on his lips. 

"Look at you, a little human protecting the fearsome moonshadow assassin." 

"My fearsome moonshadow assassin", he whispered on his lips, and he hugged her closer. 

They fell asleep hugging, lulled by their shared breaths, sharing each one of their dreams.


End file.
